Well, a few tips. Just some quick thoughts that will help you as you continue to make comics.

No one is out to steal your idea. It isn’t that good. Ideas, really, are cheap. Here are a few of them: ghosts in alcohol; a werewolf love story; anything concerning Charles Fort. Cheap. Why? Because it’s the execution of the idea that’s important. The reason no one is trying to steal your idea is because they’re too busy coming up with ideas of their own and shepherding them to the shelves.

Stop asking questions and go make a comic. A lot of you will ask questions about everything, and will end up confusing yourself when you find “conflicting” information. Don’t do that. Just go make a comic. The questions will answer themselves as you do it. When you’re done, and if you’re not totally put off by the process, do it again. And keep doing it, refining the process each time. Get it “right.”

All the books that tell you things, all the websites, all the interviews, all the resources you’ve hoarded all have one thing in common: that’s how “they” did it. It doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how you are going to do it. Those are the truths those creators have come to understand. That truth is from their vantage point. Yours will more than likely be different.

You will not get rich and famous doing comics. The odds are against you. If that’s why you’ve gotten into this, get out now. Make space for someone who really wants to be here.

Learn the system of creation-distribution-getting paid. There are steps to it, with some divergent paths, but you need to learn it. Getting paid is part of the reason you’re trying to tell stories. You want to make a living at it. Learn this system so you’ll know why it is or isn’t working for you. (This, folks, is very, very important.)

Quick hits. They’re all important, but some are more important than others.